Interrupted
by StorySongs
Summary: A late-night visit reveals a new side of the Kaiba Brothers, and results in an unexpected opportunity.


There was something incredibly imposing about the Kaiba mansion, other than its size and wealth; it had a sort of presence, not malevolent, but one that warned you to watch your step as you entered. Jenna had plenty of time to muse on the house's nature as the security guards at the front gate checked and rechecked her credentials as part of KaibaCorp's research and development team. Well, a secretary of the team, to be precise, but even geniuses needed paperwork filed and coffee prepared on a regular basis. And, occasionally, messages delivered to one stubborn CEO who wasn't answering his phone.

As she entered the mansion the security officer directed her to one of the living rooms. He tried to hold her back and explain something but she brushed him off impatiently- her credentials were cleared and she obviously carried no weapons, what could he need to hold her up for? The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could get back to her own home- she wanted to beat the looming thunderstorm if she could manage it.

Shuffling through the papers her boss claimed needed to be approved _tonight_ (honestly they could've waited until morning, but he'd insisted…) she opened the wooden door without bothering to knock.

"Master Kaiba, there's something R and D has sent me to get you to look over, if you could just-"

"Nope! It's eight o'clock on a Friday night, and Nii-sama's not working any more today." The bright chirp of the younger Kaiba brother interrupted Jenna's report. She glanced up from the papers she held and beheld a sight few had ever witnessed.

Seto Kaiba… _Relaxing._

Out of his regular suit, wearing a set of sweatpants and a well-worn soft cotton turtleneck, the young CEO sat on their living room couch with his socked feet on the coffee table and a video game controller in his hands. He looked up almost guiltily as she stepped farther into the room.

"Mokuba, if she's come all the way over here it must be important-" He started to rise, only for his brother to grab his shoulder and pull him back down.

"Nuh-uh! Seto, you've put in twelve-hour days all this week! Whatever it is, it can wait- it's only from R and D, not legal or anything." With that, Mokuba promptly planted himself in his brother's lap and picked up his own controller. She didn't know whether to take offense at his slur of her department or not. (Considering the fact that he was her boss's beloved little brother, she decided to let it slide.)

"But what if something has exploded, or will explode from general incompetency?" Seto retorted and shifted his little brother to a more comfortable position, but didn't force him off as she knew he had the ability to do. Mokuba shrugged cheerfully.

"Then you get to shout at them tomorrow morning, and I go to your meetings while you bury yourself up to your eyeballs in electronics and coding. That always makes you happy." Jenna had to bite her lip to cover a smile- the two brothers _bantering_ was such an adorable sight.

Seeing them like this made Jenna take a step back in her thinking. Seto Kaiba, multibillionaire CEO… Was _seventeen_. She had a nephew his age, preparing to take his last year of high school- he spent half his time locked in his room with friends and video games, the other half grousing about summer reading in between attempting to compose his own guitar music. Seto arrived at work at seven in the morning during the summer and didn't leave until six at night at the _earliest_, doing scientific and mathematical work that would make most high school seniors cry. Why in the world was she bothering him during his downtime?...

Oh, that's right. Because the head of her R and D subsection was an asshole. Well, screw it. If she got fired by the self-important bastard, she'd just get fired and find another job- it wasn't worth disturbing these two when they were resting.

"Actually, this can wait. R and D can survive for a night." She grimaced and muttered the next words under her breath. "Don't know why he sent me in the first place, the angry jerk…"

She'd forgotten that Master Kaiba had ears like a bat and was horribly intuitive when it came to workplace politics. (Now, women, that was an ENTIRELY different, sometimes hilarious story.) He studied her face carefully.

"Jacobson's giving you a hard time. You were hired a month ago after a successful ninety day trial period, and there's been no formal complaints. Why doesn't he like you?" Jenna made a mental note to add 'eidetic memory' to the list of sometimes annoying abilities her boss possessed as she tried to downplay her criticism.

"He doesn't dislike me, per say…"

"Don't lie to me." A narrowing of those icy blue eyes pinned her in place and she barely hid the shivers that ran down her spine. _Dominance maneuver_, said the part of her that was obsessed with psychological TV dramas. _Don't look away, he's challenging you-_

She looked away.

"I tried to correct an error I saw by chance in a blueprint that passed over my desk. Apparently a secretary 'shouldn't meddle in things she doesn't understand', but even I mastered elementary math and could see that the sums weren't right! It went through, he got reprimanded when the design didn't work out, and he's been angry with me ever since." She huffed out a breath and got her irritation back under control. "Sorry for the outburst, sir."

A wry half-smile. "Why are you sorry? I asked."

"It wasn't professional."

"As my brother so helpfully pointed out, I'm not working." As if to emphasize the point he pressed several buttons on the controller. Mokuba yelped as his character was dropped into a pool of acid. "You have leeway to be a little unprofessional."

"Okay, then… Thank you. Jacobson hasn't done anything drastic, he just wants everything done _now._ Tonight he decided that these reports couldn't wait until morning, but…"

"He was probably just trying to make me angry with you." The CEO nodded and drummed his fingers against the controller. "I'll speak with him in the morning." Jenna winced but didn't dare contradict him when she saw the gleam in his eyes. She almost felt sorry for the man.

"Thank you, sir. I'm sorry for disturbing you, I'll show myself out…" She flinched and barely restrained a curse when thunder crashed outside- she hadn't beat the storm after all. Kaiba's sharp eyes caught her frustrated look.

"Did you drive here?" She shook her head.

"My car broke down two days ago. I took the subway, but it's a decent walk from here. It's just a little rain, I can make it to the station…"

"That's a thunderstorm, and lightning isn't really a laughing matter. One of my guards can drive you home."

"I… Thank you, Master Kaiba." He just shrugged and turned his attention back to the video game. The conversation was apparently over, and she left the room before he could change his mind. Mokuba's cheery wave followed her out- along with an indignant cry as his character was, once again, dumped into a pool of acid.

Seto's honest laugh at the game's snarky commentary was the last thing she heard from the brothers.

The next morning, she went in at her normal time and began shuffling through the papers already stacked on her desk.

In between a memo about the effects of caffeine overdose (like anyone in this company ever listened, though she gave the sender credit for trying) and a flyer advertising a litter of kittens available for adoption she found a copy of the paperwork she had taken with her last night- signed, dated, and ready to be submitted.

Underneath that, she found a note:

_Ms. Helmsley _

_My personal secretary recently resigned due to familial health problems. The position is still open. It requires patience, tact, a good memory, and an eye for detail. Apply if you're interested. _

_-S. Kaiba _

Jenna just stared, wide-eyed, at the paper for a moment. Personal secretary to Master Kaiba? It was a well-paying, prestigious position to be sure, but the elder Kaiba had a reputation of being somewhat difficult. She glanced up as Jacobson walked into the room, scowling dangerously.

Well, it couldn't be worse than it was now. Besides, whenever Seto started annoying her she could bring up the memory of him playing games with his brother, and smile.

Ignoring Jacobson's grumbles and criticism of how she prepared the coffee, she discreetly began to fill out the application.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Aren't random plotbunnies fun? I love seeing the softer side of the Kaiba Brothers.

For those interested, the game I imagine them playing is Portal 2. :) I can see Seto liking GLaDOS' sense of humor and the puzzles that require some actual thought. The co-op mode is super fun as well.

Review if you feel like it, hope you enjoyed!


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